Chemical & Physical Properties of Crude Oil

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Chemical & Physical Properties of Crude Oil"

Shannon Golden
5 years ago
Views:

1 Chemical & Physical Properties of Crude Oil MODULE NO. 4

2 Lesson Objectives Upon completion of this Module, Students will be able to: Identify the characteristics of crude oil Understand the difference between sweet and sour crude oil Identify the adverse health effects of crude oil

3 Characteristics of Crude Oil What is Crude Oil? a complex combination of hydrocarbons consisting predominantly of aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons. It may also contain small amounts of nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur compounds. Mixed crude oils have varying amounts of each type of hydrocarbon.

4 Characteristics of Crude Oil The hydrocarbons in crude oil can generally be divided into four categories: Paraffins: These can make up 15 to 60% of crude. Paraffins are the desired content in crude and what are used to make fuels. The shorter the paraffins are, the lighter the crude is. Napthenes: These can make up 30 to 60% of crude. They are higher in density than equivalent paraffins and are more viscous

5 Characteristics of Crude Oil The hydrocarbons in crude oil can generally be divided into four categories: Aromatics: These can constitute anywhere from 3 to 30% of crude. They are undesirable because burning results in soot. They are also more viscous. They are often solid or semi-solid. Asphaltics: These average about 6% in most crude. They are generally undesirable in crude, but their 'stickiness' makes them excellent for use in road construction.

6 Characteristics of Crude Oil Based upon the many recent rail car incidents involving crude oil and Bakken Crude oil specifically, two important characteristics have become evident Flammability Toxicity

7 Understanding the Flammability Issue In order to understand the Hazards of Flammability of Crude Oil, some basic concepts must be understood. These include the terms: Flashpoint Upper and Lower Explosive Limits Vapor Density Vapor Pressure Specific Gravity

8 Flashpoint Flashpoint is defined as: the lowest temperature that a liquid emits vapors that may be ignited. The lower the flashpoint the more flammable the material. Bakken Crude Oil has a flashpoint of: -31 F

presence of an ignition source Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) The highest presence

10 LEL, UEL and Flammable Range Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) The lowest concentration of vapors in the air capable of producing a flash fire in the presence of an ignition source Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) The highest concentration of vapors in the air capable of producing a flash fire in the presence of an ignition source

11 LEL, UEL and Flammable Range

12 LEL UEL Comparisons HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE FLAMMABLE RANGE Gasoline 1.4% - 7.6% Methane 5% - 14% Bakken Crude Oil 0.8% - 8.0%

13 Vapor Density Weight of a unit volume of gas or vapor compared to the weight of an equal volume of air Bakken Crude Oil has a Vapor Density of: As such vapors can accumulate in low or depressed areas These vapors can be both flammable and toxic

14 Vapor Pressure Vapor Pressure is the pressure exerted by a vapor at a given temperature in a closed system A liquid with a high vapor pressure is called a volatile liquid Vapor Pressure is directly related to temperature Increasing Temperature = Increased Vapor Pressure Bakken Crude Oil has a Vapor Pressure of at 68 F

15 Specific Gravity is the weight of a volume of liquid compared to an equal volume of water Bakken Crude Oil has a Specific Gravity of: Specific Gravity

Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as a human, It can also be the

16 Toxicity of Bakken Crude Oil Toxicity is the degree to which a substance can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as a human, It can also be the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell (cytotoxicity) or an organ such as the liver (hepatotoxicity). The degree of toxicity is dependent upon the components of the crude oil

17 Components of Crude Oil The following products may be found in Bakken Crude Oil: Hydrogen Sulfide Benzene Ethyl Benzene Xylene Naphthalene Toluene

18 Hazards of Crude Oil Components All of these components are inhalation hazards Some also pose a dermal exposure hazard Exposures may result in either acute or chronic effects Remember the Routes of Entry Inhalation Absorption Ingestion Injection

19 Safety Data Sheet Review Using the Safety Data Sheet provided, complete the Exercise Worksheet Work in Groups Let s discuss your findings

20 Adverse Health effects of Crude Oil Effects of Inhalation Headache Dizziness Nausea Vomiting Confusion Victim may appear intoxicated

21 Adverse Health Effects of Crude Oil Effects of Skin Absorption Skin erythema (reddening) Edema (swelling) Burning Sensation Dermatitis Defatting of the skin

22 Adverse Health Effects of Crude Oil Effects of Ingestion Nausea Vomiting Gastrointestinal distress Diarrhea

SAFETY DATA SHEET Prepared by Duro Dyne December 27, 2013

HEALTH 2 FLAMMABILITY 3 REACTIVITY 0 SAFETY DATA SHEET Prepared by Duro Dyne December 27, 2013 1. CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION Trade name: DURO DYNE SOLVENT BASED ADHESIVE Product Identifier: